Between The Crystals

Ch 63 A Whisper of Despair and a Hint of Hope

I ported, and when the haze cleared, I suppressed a sigh at the sight of another group. My search for empty crystals was coming up rather lacking this morning. The four hunters kept their hands on my shoulders as I took a breather.

The woman closest to the crystal—probably the porter, although I didn't recognize her—greeted us, "Good morning. You're the ninth porter to stop by this morning."

That didn't bode well for my search.

"Good morning. The crystals seem unusually full." And considering I had already checked four locations right beside fields without a single one being unoccupied, I was starting to worry. Until recently, only the bravest groups had been willing to go so close to a field, so this change wasn't a pleasant one. As much as I didn't want to go near a farm, I would probably have to.

She shrugged. "After what happened to Gloriet Village and High Ridge Scanning Location yesterday? I doubt anyone will dare set foot on Saursune holdings for a while, so they have to go somewhere."

"That would do it," I reluctantly agreed.

She frowned at the surrounding shrubs and kicked at a weed. "The hardest part is knowing what's edible. Each place is different. In some spots, young nettles are safe to eat, but in others, they make you sick. Like this one."

I stared at the horsenettle, and it took me more than a few seconds to realize she was comparing it to stinging nettles, which looked quite different. How could someone mix those two up?

One of my hunters said, "If you go to the Oasis later tonight, I'm sure a group will entertain a trade if you want to learn more about edible plants. Even if just one or two of your members tag along, or if you let a couple of theirs join your group for the day."

"Might have to try that," she mumbled. "I doubt we'll be going into the fields for a long time."

My eyes widened slightly. She was part of a group that primarily raided, or at the very least, one who gleaned whatever was left in a field after the harvest. I did not want a Saursune to see me hanging out with such a group.

I rubbed the side of my neck. "Well, we better get going before too many more places are claimed. Have a good day."

"You too. Best of luck."

"Thanks." I was going to need it with how my search was going so far.

With a nod, I ported myself and the four hunters to the next place. It took far too many ports before I found a spot to leave each hunter. I returned to the village, where Grant and most of the porters were waiting for me.

They must not have had any success in finding an empty crystal, although I knew four groups were at the new Mossy Rock Crystal. Janette was still sleeping, exhausted from whatever had happened during her absence. A nap sounded pretty good right about now. How many ports had I done? Twenty? No wonder my legs didn't exactly feel steady at the moment.

Leaning heavily on the crystal, I told them, "You don't get options today. It was all I could do to find four open crystals. There is a decent place bordering a field, a somewhat overharvested spot near a field, and two not far from farms."

"Every place we tried was occupied or completely picked clean," Ariel replied with a shrug.

Grant readied his chalk and slate as he asked, "Which spot do you think had the most around it?"

"Smooth Stone Thicket. It's by a sheep farm. I don't think the previous groups dared to go more than fifty paces from the crystal. Everything past that is untouched."

He frowned and made some notes. He regarded his writing for so long that many began to exchange looks. I glanced at Merryl, who shrugged.

Finally, he opened his eyes and said, "Normally our rule is to avoid any farm with livestock, but I think we might have to try something new. If you don't mind, can you take your group there?"